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Security & Cybersecurity · head to head

Cisco Duo vs Stytch

Cisco Duo logo

Cisco Duo

Security & Cybersecurity

Trusted access for all users, all devices

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Stytch logo

Stytch

Security & Cybersecurity

Identity platform with passwordless auth, passkeys and bot detection.

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Cisco Duo free tier caps at 10 users; every paid tier requires a minimum of 10 users; Stytch free tier limited to 10,000 monthly active users; scaling beyond this requires custom pricing negotiation

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Cisco Duo and Stytch actually diverge.

Attributes where Cisco Duo and Stytch differ
AttributeCisco DuoStytch
PlatformsWebWeb, API
CategorySecurity & CybersecurityUnknown

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (freemium), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Cisco Duo

No use cases recorded yet. See the Cisco Duo review.

Stytch

  • Applications prioritising passwordless and passkey authenticationnot Cisco Duo
  • SaaS platforms requiring AI agent authentication and machine-to-machine flowsnot Cisco Duo
  • Companies with emerging identity needs such as bot detection and device intelligencenot Cisco Duo
  • Organisations building with Next.js and React requiring modern auth patternsnot Cisco Duo
  • Applications needing transparent pricing without surprise tiers or feature gatingnot Cisco Duo

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Cisco Duo

  • Free tier caps at 10 users; every paid tier requires a minimum of 10 users
  • Licenses cannot be bought individually above the free tier: under 100 users they are sold in increments of 10, and over 100 users in increments of 25
  • Duo Premier, the top tier with the most adaptive access controls, costs $9 per user per month on top of the per-increment purchase requirement

Stytch

  • Free tier limited to 10,000 monthly active users; scaling beyond this requires custom pricing negotiation
  • Fraud prevention capabilities billed at $0.005 per fingerprint for usage exceeding 10,000 free checks
  • Additional SSO or SCIM connections beyond the 5 included in free tier cost $125 each
  • Brand customisation and email removal require one-time payment of $99
  • HIPAA and advanced fraud protection only available in Enterprise tier
  • No native UI builder; requires custom frontend development for fully-branded auth flows

Pricing, plan by plan

Cisco Duo

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Cisco Duo review.

Stytch

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 10,000 monthly active users and AI agents
    • Unlimited organisations
    • 5 SSO or SCIM connections
  • Scaled$null/variable
    • Usage-based pricing for users exceeding 10,000
    • All free tier features
    • Volume discounts available
  • Enterprise$null/variable
    • Custom pricing
    • Discounted volume rates
    • Enterprise support SLA

Which should you pick?

Choose Cisco Duo if

  • You want to start without paying.
Cisco Duo review

Choose Stytch if

  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, API.
Stytch review

Questions people ask

Is Cisco Duo or Stytch better?
Neither clearly leads. Cisco Duo starts at Free and Stytch at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Cisco Duo or Stytch?
Cisco Duo starts at Free and Stytch at Free.
Does Cisco Duo or Stytch run on more platforms?
Cisco Duo runs on Web. Stytch runs on Web, API.
Can I use Cisco Duo for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Stytch: What is included in Stytch's free tier?

The free tier includes 10,000 monthly active users (human and AI agents), unlimited organisations, 5 SSO or SCIM connections, and 1,000 machine-to-machine tokens with full authentication features.

Source
Stytch: Does Stytch support AI agent authentication?

Yes. Stytch provides native AI agent authentication and authorisation, with support for the Model Context Protocol (MCP) for authenticating AI agents accessing external systems.

Source
Stytch: What fraud prevention features does Stytch offer?

Stytch includes bot detection with 99.99% accuracy, device fingerprinting, invisible CAPTCHA, and zero-day device intelligence built into all tiers.

Source
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Related pages

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